Sometimes you take a risk on a cookbook and it really pays off. I had seen bloggers around the internet talking about Aida Mollenkamp’s Keys to the Kitchen, but beyond that I knew nothing about her or the book. I was buying books at The Good Cook (where I might as well be an investor…

I have tried to start this post countless times but we are currently having some trouble with our plug-ins. So before I forget, some housekeeping: if you cannot find the links to all of my social pages, please be patient they will come back. And you can find me under “The Spiced Life” at most…

I’ve mentioned before that I am continually waging a war to get my entire family–myself included–to like cooked greens. There have been a few successes, but more thumbs down than up. Recently I got quite excited about a wonderful looking recipe using Christmas Lima beans and greens. John and I liked it ok, but the…

As most of you know, I have a definite preference for one pot meals. I would not say I am incapable of multi-tasking, but when it comes to making dinner I like to avoid it when possible. Because we love homey, rustic cooking like stews, curries and casseroles, I am often able to convert my…

Indian curries are rapidly becoming my favorite go-to meal. In addition to their ease of preparation (as a one pot meal), healthiness, and general tastiness, they are also endlessly flexible and adaptable to the season. They can be lighter or heartier. They can be luscious with braised meat or vegetarian or even vegan (or anywhere…

It always takes me a while to decompress from a vacation, and especially so from the beach. I made this dish the next day–and I loved it–but as I stare at the computer screen what I am really wishing I was doing is floating on my back in the surf, absorbing the warm sun and…

This time of year always brings with it a dilemma: you want healthy and light after weeks of feasting but at the same time for many of us it is cold outside and we want warming and hearty. Year after year I seem to turn to the same solution: bean soup.

While my sister was visiting, we went to my local farmer’s market together. Josie is always up for a good farmer’s market, and for our town size (and even one bigger really), ours is excellent. While we were browsing through my favorite produce stand, we were discussing what to make while she was here. Ever…

So about those fenugreek greens. I really liked this dish, but, unlike most Indian dishes, it is much better served fresh than leftover. It is a dry curry, meaning no sauce to speak of, and so the texture of the potatoes is more akin to a fried potato, which is probably why the dish is…

Hi! I’m Laura and I am a recovering history major who has re-channeled all of my passion for learning about the history of different countries to learning about their food culture. That doesn’t mean every dish on here is strictly authentic, but it does mean that even my adaptations are not undertaken lightly. My goal is to show you–by doing–that these dishes are possible in your kitchen. Including desserts because I have quite the sweet tooth! Read More…